Hearts Move On
by Omega Ultra
Summary: It's been years since Spinel and Steven first met, and now with the coming of their first child, it's time to say goodbye. The problem is, Steven isn't ready.


**A/N Hey guys! I don't know how, but I got this idea a few weeks ago and people on the TLH discord server said I should do it, so I decided, "why not" and got to work! I hope you guys enjoy! I thank Lovecraftfan for looking this fic over!**

**R&R!**

Hearts Move On

"Ooo, these'll be great!" Spinel cheered in excitement, as she held up an oversized box of diapers. "She's gonna love 'em!"

"I'm glad you like it," Pearl awkwardly rubbed the back of her head, blushing slightly as she did so. "Back when Steven was a baby, I tried to give him a dictionary…" she glanced at Steven, the man chuckling slightly. "I guess babies don't like learning how to read."

"Heh, well then it's good you've learned!" Spinel instantly threw her arms around her. "Thanks Pearl!"

The gem smiled, before returning the affection. "No problem."

"All right, all right!" Amethyst pushed her own gift forward. "Come on, open my gift already! I know she's gonna love it!"

Spinel chuckled. "All right Amethyst," before she overstretched her arms to grab the box.

Nearby, Steven found himself leaning against the divider that separated the kitchen from the living room. His gaze falling softly upon the gem he had decided to take as his own. He could feel his heart warm up ever so slightly at the sight of her, urging him to join the festivities, though he decided against it.

It had been years since they first fought and in that time, so much had changed. Spinel had decided to return to Earth in an attempt to get some time away from the diamonds, as well to spend some time with Steven… only for a new gem to descend upon Earth- this one taking the shape of what appeared to be a forced fusion, combining thousands of faces together along with two sickly black arms. Though it moved with a single mind.

The battle the Crystal Gems fought against it resulted in its defeat, but Caused Spinel and Steven to be lost in the void of the universe. They spent over a year there, growing close as they fought the dangers before them; they even went as far as to fuse in order to defeat the guardian of the warp pad home!

Upon their return home, the duo found themselves inseparable. They would do everything together! Train, bathe, eat, even sleep! And so, nine months ago, they decided it was time to consummate their relationship.

Now, thanks to him, she was carrying their child.

For a moment, Steven found himself looking into her eyes, he always found her heart-shaped pupils adorable, a fact that Spinel always used to get her way. _"Oh her puppy-dog eyes…"_ His gaze slowly moved to the soft hearts she had shaped her pigtails into. _"Heh, they're just like Mickey Mouse's…" _Moving down, her face was no longer stained by the black tears loneliness and grief had given her- a result of their first fusion.

"_Oh that first fusion,"_ Steven's gaze softened, as he fought tears. For a moment, he felt truly one with her. He could feel her pain and anguish along with the conflicted feelings she had towards him, while she could feel the pressure he grew up with, how he never knew if he could live up to the gem he had been given. And in that moment, they realized that Pink Diamond had hurt them both.

Her chest had returned to its pristine white while her heart-shaped gem sat right side up. If it weren't for the ever-growing bulge in her abdomen, he'd suspect she had gotten rejuvenated again!

"Ooo, I love these!" Spinel held up a pink set of footie pajamas. "She's going to look so adorable!" She turned to her partner, showing the set off. "What do you think, Steven?!"

"Heh, it looks great," Steven closed his eyes and smiled. "Good job, Amethyst."

The purple gem crossed her arms and put on a confident smile. "What can I say? I'm the queen of art!"

"Or you just got Vidalia to help you," Garnet nonchalantly cut in.

Instantly, Amethyst's face went red in embarrassment, prompting her to look away. "All right, you got me."

Garnet adjusted her glasses and put on a nonchalant chuckle.

"All right, now how about my gift?!" Bismuth stepped forward, almost shoving the box in front of Spinel. "After all, it's all bismuth with me," she gave a wink, eliciting a hearty laugh from the other gems.

Steven stood up straight with that, putting on a soft smile, before stepping out the front door, carefully closing it behind him as he did so. For a moment, he clutched the doorknob, seemingly hesitating over whether or not to do what he was. _"Today's the last time I get to see her…"_ his mind rung out. He glanced to the side, the warm memories over waking up to her smile and her long arms wrapped around him resounded in his mind.

"_I… I shouldn't. I can't let go…"_ He thought. Yet, he found himself turning and stepping over to the railing overlooking the beach and leaned forward.

For a moment, he simply looked out, into the endless moonlit sea and upon the never-ending waves. _"I can't believe it's been so long since I met her… it feels like it was just yesterday when she was trying to kill me, and now she's giving up her physical form to give birth to my daughter…"_ he let out a breath, before resting his chin against the wooden railing. _"Dangit…"_

"Hey son," a familiar voice greeted, prompting him to look up, towards a certain old man. "I thought I'd find you out here."

"Oh, hi dad…" Steven's voice fell low, before he turned his gaze to beach city. Nothing much has changed for it over the years. Of course, the people have come and gone, but the beach was still its pure white, while the stores that fought for every inch of space still stood open, all ready for the summer rush.

Greg leaned on the bar next to his son, his voice filling with fatherly warmth. "Son, what're you doin' out here? The baby shower's still goin' on," he glanced back, through the transparent door. "Spinel looks like she's having a great time."

He hesitated his reply. "Nothing dad… I'm just thinking and stuff."

"You're wondering what's going to happen after tomorrow."

Instantly, Steven turned to his father. The years hadn't been too kind to him. His once vibrant brown hair having greyed out, while never truly growing back after he was forced to cut it. He had also put on some more weight, though he always promised to work it off.

"Just because you've grown up doesn't mean you can his anything from your old man, Steven," He chuckled, before sighing and looking down, towards the rocky base below.

The younger man did the same. "Dad… mom had to give up her physical form to make me, and now Spinel's going to do the same!" He looked away. "We've both know that this was going to happen… I made sure she knew before we decided to… you know."

"Then why are you so worried?" He went in reply. "If you both knew and she has accepted it, then there's nothing to be afraid of."

"B-but she's going to be gone after tomorrow!" He clutched his head. "We've always dreamed of raising a child together, but that's…" he gulped. "No going to happen. I don't even know the first thing about raising a baby! Let alone a gem like me! How am I gonna do it without her…" he turned to his father and looked into his eyes. "How can I say goodbye to her?"

For a moment, Greg remained silent, slowly turning to his son as he did so. He looked into his eyes, taking in just what his son had said, before he sighed. "Steven… I wish I could just lie to you and say that everything's going to be all right…" he looked away, up to the sky. "Back when your mom was still alive, I asked myself what I was gonna do too. And to this day I wonder if what we did was right…"

Steven remained silent and looked away.

"You'll never be truly OK after she's gone, but just know that she does believe you can do it. She wanted you Steven," he placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "And she wants to have your child too. Do the best you can do is be there when she… disappears."

Steven chose not to answer, instead choosing to focus on his own thoughts. "_She's going to be gone and there's nothing I can do…"_

"Oh boy…" Greg grimaced, no doubt the realization dawning on him. _"I probably should've picked my words better…" _With that he got up and stepped inside.

A few minutes later, Steven could feel a familiar hand stretch around him, prompting him to turn and find her, her radiant beauty filling the night with her light. "Hi Steven."

He gave a soft smile, though that quickly returned to a frown, before he turned back and looked out at the sea once more. "What's up?"

"Steven, the baby shower's almost over, why don't you come back inside before everyone goes home?"

He paused and looked down. "I dunno…"

Spinel slowly moved her hand down and took hold of her partner's, sandwiching it between both. "Steven… Greg told me what's going on…"

"Yeah, yeah, he probably told me how I'm overthinking this and stuff… right?" he kept his gaze focused forward, though he clutched her hand tightly. "You're gonna disappear tomorrow and there's nothing I can do about it…"

Slowly, Spinel stretched her hand other his cheek and pulled, moving him to face her as she retracted. "Steven… it's all right."

"No it's not!" He snapped, his eyes beginning to fog up. "Y-you're gonna… you," his mind began to stumble over its words. "How are you so… ok with this?!" he took hold of her hand. "I… I love you Spinel, I don't wanna let you go!"

For a moment, she paused, before slowly wrapping her arms around her partner. Normally, she'd overstretch her arms before pulling him in close. And though he always found it a bit tight, he couldn't lie, he enjoyed them.

But this time was different. She pulled him close, closing the distance between them as she pulled him in and rested her head on his shoulder. And for once, Steven was able to return the embrace.

"To be honest, I'm nervous about it myself," her voice was soft, yet filled with nervousness. "But… even though I don't know what's gonna happen next, I'm all right with it."

"B-but how?" Steven whispered. "I know we both wanted this… but was it really worth losing you over? I… I don't want you to go."

Spinel paused, her voice filling with a motherly heat. "Steven, to be honest, I never thought about what was going to happen either. Gems don't live and die like humans do, so the thought of just disappearing never occurs to us," She pushed back, allowing her to look into his eyes. "But I know that, no matter what happens, things will work out. I have faith in you."

The man didn't reply, choosing instead to look out.

"Steven, remember that song we used to sing together?" Spinel whispered, giving him a sympathetic look. "You know, the one we sung when it looked like we would never escape that mutated gem?"

He perked up slightly, though didn't say a word.

And so, Spinel began to sing. "Let's sing a song, full of hope, full of pain," Before she pushed back, allowing her to look into Steven's eyes. "Why don't you sing along my friend, for it's our last refrain?"

He couldn't help but look away, though he still whispered the next line, while snapping his fingers to the beat. "Forever young, ever strong, ever brave…"

"Memories like this never end, they don't fade away," she then stretched her arms around him and up to his face, turning him to face her once more. "So when I'm gone, oh when I'm gone, I'll be right there, close to the sun," she looked into his eyes. "Keep holdin' on, keep holdin' on and I'll be right there, close to the sun, close to the sun."

Steven paused, the words echoing in his mind. "Close to the sun," before his body began to loosen up a bit, while a wave of nostalgia began to overtake him

Immediately, Spinel recoiled, before releasing, causing Steven to spin like a top. Thankfully, he was able to grab onto her to stop himself. _"I always loved it when she did that."_

"Here's to the ones who let shine, through the rain, the ones who stood for somethin' more, we won't forget your names," he sang, his voice picking up slightly.

"The tide is high, say goodbye, set it sail, and all those midnight secrets stowed, we'll take it to the grave," Spinel sang out, allowing Steven to raise his arm over her and begin to twirl her. Though her bump made it a bit harder, he didn't mind, after all, it had been a long while since they danced together.

"So when I'm gone, oh when I'm gone," He began to sing, letting go for just a short moment, allowing her to stretch her arms into a heart above her head, before she spun like a ballerina, only for Steven to catch her arm, prompting them both to look at each other and flare their free arms out, before the man pulled, dropping her into his arms once more. "I'll be right there, close to the sun."

Spinel then immediately replied. "Keep holdin' on, keep holdin' on, and I'll be right there, close to the sun, close to the sun."

The soft melody of the ocean filled their ears with that, as the crashing waves rolled back and forth over the beach. For a moment, they could swear that the joyful melodies of harps and clapping could fill their ears.

"Close the sun," they whispered together, before they pulled each other back up, standing before the other with one hand on each other's shoulder and the other clasped in their partner's hands.

And in unison, they finished. "So when I'm gone… oh when I'm gone, I'll be right there, close to the sun. Keep holdin' on, keep holdin' on! And I'll be right there, close to the sun, close to the sun…"

With that, they both leaned in, placing their lips upon the other, while their arms wrapped around them, pulling them into a soft, loving embrace.

After a moment, they break, allowing them to look into each other's eyes. "Steven…"

"It's going to be hard, but… I can do it," his voice was weary, no doubt holding back tears as he held Spinel's hands once more. "I'm going to do my best to take care of her."

"I know you will," The gem smiled, before a single orb of light flaked off her hand.

"What the…" Her eyes went wide in surprise as she looked to her glove; At this point, more flakes began to fly off.

"Spinel, what's going on?!" Steven clutched his partner's sides, as a soft smile began to form.

"Steven," she looked up to him with a warm smile and softened eyes. "It's time."

Instantly, he could feel his heart race, while his eyes went wide. "W-what?! But it's too early! Garnet said that the baby was supposed to come tomorrow!" He squeezed her sides as tears began to form in his eyes. "W-what if-"

Spinel raised her finger to his mouth as tears began to form in her eyes as well. "Don't worry Steven, I'm ready."

"B-but I'm not!" He tried to counter. "I- I need you Spinel, I love you!" Only to elicit a chuckle from the gem.

"Steven, you're more ready than anyone for this. Never doubt that," she leaned in close, placing one final kiss on his lips, before pulling away. "Treat her well, all right? And if you ever miss me, don't worry, because I'll be with you, close to the sun."

Tears began to stream down the man's face as spinel's body began to disappear as well. The heart-shaped hairpieces he loved to poke, her gorgeous face and smile, her jester boots and gloved hands all flaking off as orbs of light. "I love you Steven."

Then, after it died down, all that remained was a young girl with a heart-shaped gem embedded in her chest.

Slowly Steven lifted her up, a soft smile forming on his face. For a moment, dread filled his very being. He was a father now, and he had to care for this child despite how difficult it would be. _"You're more ready than anyone. I love you, Steven."_

"_Spinel believed that I can do this, so who am I to doubt her?"_ He took a breath and nodded. "Spinel… don't worry, I'll take good care of our daughter," He looked down at his child. "Joy."

The infant smiled.

"Joy, you like that name?"

The baby slept away with that, tucking into his arms as she did so. _"I'll take that as a yes," _And with that, Steven turned and stepped into the home, ready to begin his new life.

20-8-5-25-'12-12 2-5 3-12-15-19-5 20-15 20-8-5 19-21-14 1-19 20-8-5-25 18-5-13-5-13-2-5-18 20-8-5 8-1-26-25 4-1-25-19 15-6 20-8-5 19-21-13-13-5-18-19 9-14 20-8-5 8-9-12-12-19, 23-8-5-18-5 20-8-5-25 23-5-18-5 18-21-14-14-9-14' 19-20-9-12-12 23-9-20-8 20-8-5 23-8-15-12-5 23-15-18-12-4 1-20 20-8-5-9-18 6-5-5-20.

**A/N I hope you guys enjoyed! Spinel x Steven has really grown on me the past few weeks, and so I wanted to make something that really helped it shine! As always, R&R, and feel free to drop ideas! Also, I'll be on vacation for the next 2 weeks (I'm in the Philippines right now in fact!), so writing may be a bit more difficult (And posting, as I'm unsure of what my bitrates will be. Though from the fact that I'm posting this, this may not be an issue). I do plan on updating "Beauty Is Loud" on Sunday, if possible.**

**Credits:**

**TheFatRat & Angulie – Close To The Sun**


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